Signal Transmission Arrangement with a Transformer and Signal Transmission Method

1. A signal reception arrangement, comprising: a receiver circuit comprising a receiver input configured to be coupled to a secondary winding of a transformer of a first communication channel, a first output for providing a data output signal, and a second output, wherein the receiver circuit is configured to evaluate a signal level at the receiver input and to detect a signal transmission when the signal level reaches a given threshold, and generate a feedback signal dependent on a detection of the signal transmission, the second output of the receiver circuit is configured to be coupled to a second transmission channel coupled to a sender circuit, the receiver circuit is configured to transmit the feedback signal via the second transmission channel to the sender circuit, the receiver circuit is configured to generate the feedback signal dependent further on at least one of the following parameters: a temperature at the receiver circuit, a supply voltage of the receiver circuit, the signal reception arrangement is configured to assume a normal mode or a calibration mode, in the calibration mode the receiver circuit is configured to receive a sequence of signal pulses with different drive signal generation parameters from the sender circuit, and the receiver circuit is configured to generate at least one signal pulse of the feedback signal when a signal pulse of the sequence of signal pulses is detected.

2. The signal reception arrangement of claim 1 , wherein: the receiver circuit includes an error detection circuit that is configured to detect an error state in the receiver circuit; and the receiver circuit is configured to transmit an error message to the sender circuit via the second transmission channel when the error state has been detected.

3. The signal reception arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the second transmission channel comprises one of a second transformer, a level-shifter, or an optocoupler.

4. The signal reception arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the receiver circuit is further configured to generate the feedback signal dependent on a signal transmission error rate.

5. The signal reception arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the signal reception arrangement enters the calibration mode at power up.

6. The signal reception arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising the transformer.

7. The signal reception arrangement of claim 6 , wherein the transformer comprises a coreless transformer.

8. A signal reception method comprising: detecting a signal transmission from a sender circuit via a first transmission channel by a receiver circuit coupled to the first transmission channel, wherein the detecting the signal transmission comprises evaluating a signal level at a first input of the receiver circuit and detecting the signal transmission when the signal level reaches a given threshold; generating a feedback signal dependent on the detection of the signal transmission; and operating the receiver circuit in a calibration mode comprising: receiving a sequence of signal pulses with different drive signal generation parameters from the sender circuit, and generating at least one signal pulse of the feedback signal when a signal pulse of the sequence of signal pulses is detected.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting the feedback signal from the receiver circuit to the sender circuit via a second transmission channel.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second transmission channel comprises one of a transformer, a level-shifter, or an optocoupler.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first transmission channel comprises a transformer.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising entering the calibration mode at power up.

13. A receiver circuit comprising: a demodulator circuit comprising an input coupled to an input of the receiver circuit, wherein the input of the receiver circuit is configured to receive a transmission signal from a transmitter via a transmission path; a first flip-flop coupled to an output of the demodulator circuit and an output coupled to a data output of the receiver circuit; an error detection circuit having a first input coupled to the output of the demodulator circuit, a second input coupled to the output of the first flip-flop; and a controller circuit having an input coupled to an output of the error detection circuit and an output coupled configured to be coupled to a transmission circuit via a feedback path, wherein the controller circuit is configured to transmit a request for the transmitter to repeat a previous transmission based on the output of the error detection circuit.

14. The receiver circuit of claim 13 , wherein the error detection circuit comprises: a second flip-flop having an input coupled to the output of the demodulator circuit; and a first logic gate having a first input coupled to an output of the second flip-flop and a second input coupled to the output of the first flip-flop.

15. The receiver circuit of claim 14 , wherein: the first flip-flop comprises a reset-set (RS) flip-flop; the second flip-flop comprises an RS flip-flop; and the first logic gate comprises an XOR gate.

16. The receiver circuit of claim 13 , wherein the demodulator circuit comprises: a first comparator having a first input coupled to the input of the demodulator circuit and a second input coupled to a first reference voltage; and a second comparator having a first input coupled to the input of the demodulator circuit and a second input coupled to a second reference voltage, wherein the first comparator is configured to set the first flip-flop when a voltage of the input of the demodulator circuit exceeds the first reference voltage and the second comparator is configured to reset the first flip-flop when the voltage of the input of the demodulator circuit does not exceed the second reference voltage.

17. The receiver circuit of claim 13 , wherein the transmission path comprises a transformer.